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United States Patent | 5,561,710 |
Helms | October 1, 1996 |
An interactive voice communication terminal (10) provides alpha and numeric characters transmitted from a DTMF generator (36) to access a database by interfacing with the mouthpiece (24) of a telephone handset (26) via a transducer (22). A keypad (14) is operable to allow selection of one of multiple characters associated with alpha characters and numeric characters. A table of DTMF strings associated with each key is stored in a memory (34). In response to depression of a key on the keypad (14), a centralized controller (32) controls the DTMF generator (36) to output the sequence associated with the depressed key that was stored in the memory (34) to transducer (22) via a driver (38). The tables in the memory (34) can be a combination of DTMF sequences for alpha characters and single number sequences for numerical sequences or they can be fixed-length sequences for all numerical and alpha characters. Further, a Learn mode is provided for allowing the user to program the DTMF sequence for a given key on the keypad (14).
Inventors: | Helms; Ramon E. (2605 Sherrill Park Dr., Richardson, TX 75082) |
Appl. No.: | 454011 |
Filed: | May 30, 1995 |
Current U.S. Class: | 379/93.27; 379/52; 379/67.1; 379/77; 379/88.11; 379/93.18; 379/93.37; 379/442; 379/443; 379/444 |
Intern'l Class: | H04M 011/00; 357; 77; 89 |
Field of Search: | 379/99,97,443,433,444,88,104,96,52,67,98,63,355,356,94,142,201,216,386,100,442 |
3619507 | Nov., 1971 | Metz | 379/444. |
4126768 | Nov., 1978 | Grenzow | 379/357. |
4201887 | May., 1980 | Burns | 379/96. |
4252996 | Feb., 1981 | D'Agostino | 379/443. |
4268721 | May., 1981 | Nielson et al. | 379/52. |
4307266 | Dec., 1981 | Messina | 379/88. |
4367374 | Jan., 1983 | Serrano | 379/442. |
4471165 | Sep., 1984 | DeFino et al. | 379/99. |
4503288 | Mar., 1985 | Kessler | 379/67. |
4682957 | Jul., 1987 | Young | 379/77. |
4754474 | Jun., 1988 | Feinson | 379/96. |
4799254 | Jan., 1989 | Dayton et al. | 379/97. |
4817129 | Mar., 1989 | Riskin | 379/88. |
4907267 | Mar., 1990 | Gutzmer | 379/442. |
4918721 | Apr., 1990 | Hashimoto | 379/96. |
5249220 | Sep., 1993 | Moskowitz et al. | 379/96. |
5289521 | Feb., 1994 | Coleman et al. | 379/97. |
GE, "Use and Care Guide", Model 2-9375, pp. 1-9 & Back Cover. |
TABLE I ______________________________________ PRIMARY CODING SCHEME CHARAC- CHARAC- CHARAC- TER DTMF TER DTMF TER DTMF ______________________________________ A 2-1 N 6-2 1 1 B 2-2 O 6-3 2 2 C 2-3 P 7-1 3 3 D 3-1 Q 7-7 4 4 E 3-2 R 7-2 5 5 F 3-3 S 7-3 6 6 G 4-1 T 8-1 7 7 H 4-2 U 8-2 8 8 I 4-3 V 8-3 9 9 J 5-1 W 9-1 0 0 K 5-2 X 9-2 * * L 5-3 Y 9-3 # # M 6-1 Z 9-9 ______________________________________
TABLE II ______________________________________ SECONDARY CODING SCHEME FIXED LENGTH CHARAC- CHARAC- CHARAC- TER DTMF TER DTMF TER DTMF ______________________________________ A 2-1 N 6-2 1 1-0 B 2-2 O 6-3 2 2-0 C 2-3 P 7-1 3 3-0 D 3-1 Q 7-7 4 4-0 E 3-2 R 7-2 5 5-0 F 3-3 S 7-3 6 6-0 G 4-1 T 8-1 7 7-0 H 4-2 U 8-2 8 8-0 I 4-3 V 8-3 9 9-0 J 5-1 W 9-1 0 0-0 K 5-2 X 9-2 * *-0 L 5-3 Y 9-3 # #-0 M 6-1 Z 9-9 ______________________________________